The Gandhis moved the SC after the Delhi High Court on September 10 rejected their pleas to set aside the I-T notices.

New Delhi: The SC will on December 4 hear detailed arguments on petitions filed by Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, challenging income-tax department notices seeking to reopen their 2011-2012 tax assessments.

The issue is related to the National Herald case. Young India, a company where both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are directors, had acquired the ailing Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), which runs the National Herald newspaper. While the Congress claims Young India to be a not-for-profit company, the tax department says the stake acquired had a market value and hence must be taxed.

The Gandhis moved the SC after the Delhi High Court on September 10 rejected their pleas to set aside the I-T notices.

The HC upheld the depart -ment’s right to issue reassessment notices.

The Gandhis and another Congress leader, Oscar Fernandes, then approached the SC. A bench comprising justices AK Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer heard the pleas on Tuesday when senior advocates P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Arvind Datar appeared for the Congress brass. Solicitorgeneral Tushar Mehta argued the case for I-T department.

Meanwhile, the Delhi HC on Tuesday refused to hear the AJL’s plea against the Centre’s order asking it to vacate its premises in the Capital on an urgent basis. “Where is the urgency,” justice Sunil Gaur asked. The court listed it for hearing on November 15.